Congress Party which has been testing tough waters with several in-house defections is facing another catastrophe in Delhi as it’s unit chief, Sheila Dikshit has voiced her displeasure for not being kept in the loop before putting out an audio message seeking party workers’ views on an alliance with AAP.
In a survey conducted on the Shakti App of Congress, the party has uploaded an audio clip by AICC in-charge PC Chacko who is asking party workers in Delhi to give their view on an alliance with the AAP. The aim of this survey on Shakti app which was launched Wednesday and will wrap up Thursday was to understand the opinion of ordinary party woekers on the contentious issue of alliance with AAP.
Riled by this move, Sheila Dikshit lashed out at AICC in-charge PC Chacko and Ajay Maken questioning their intentions saying ‘why were the two hellbent on an alliance with AAP’?
BREAKING: Massive infighting in Congress’ Delhi unit, Chief @SheilaDikshit says she was not kept in loop before putting out the audio message seeking workers’ views on alliance with AAP. Why r @ajaymaken and Chaco hell bent on alliance, asks Shiela Dikshit. @iSamiakapoor reports. pic.twitter.com/fKmD8xw0AP
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) March 14, 2019
Congress party is coming across to be completely disoriented when it comes to forming an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. On one hand, Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit, after a meeting with Congress national president Rahul Gandhi, claimed that there is unanimity against an alliance with the AAP and on the other hand the Congress has sought the view of its Delhi unit workers over the issue through an audio clip released on its mobile app.
Moreover, Dikshit has mentioned that party’s former Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken is also unwavering regarding the Congress-AAP alliance, but surprisingly Ajay Maken was reported to be unhappy with any sort of alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party and had said that there was no question of any alliance with the AAP in Delhi.
Ironically, his resignation as the Congress Delhi unit chief in January 2019 had fuelled the speculation that the decks were clear for a Congress and AAP alliance before 2019. Now with Dikshit claiming that Maken is in favour of the alliance, the Congress’ internal disunity is just getting unclouded.
Meanwhile, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has been putting all his efforts together to convince Congress to join hands with the AAP to defeat the BJP Lok Sabha elections. He claimed that if the Congress agrees to the alliance offer, the Bharatiya Janata Party will lose all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.
Kejriwal, who has been extensively mocked at by netizens for displaying extreme desperation to hook up with the Congress Party, had last month claimed that he was tired of trying to convince Congress party of an alliance and said that Congress party has refused to have an alliance with his Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi for Lok Sabha elections.
And now, few Congress insiders have claimed that the alliance with AAP is “almost certain” and will be finalised by end of this month. Sources said the grand old party is ready for the alliance if the AAP agrees to leave New Delhi, Chandni Chowk and North West seats for the Congress.
The snakes and ladder game between the two parties, in its quest to take on BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has just become more intriguing as in the latest, there have been reports that AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had offered alliance with the Congress in Haryana to Rahul Gandhi, saying his party needed no partnership in Delhi.
“This is a pressure tactic. The reality is AAP is ready for an alliance with the Congress at any cost in Delhi. Even Kejriwal knows this. He had earlier floated 3-3-1 formula, three seats each for Congress and AAP, and one for a consensus candidate, through opposition leaders Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar. It’s only a matter of days before the alliance is announced,” said a Congress leader, who has inside information of the party.
Delhi will go to the polls on May 12. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.
